HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)

"HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)"
Single by Drake featuring Lil Wayne
from the album Take Care
ReleasedApril 24, 2012
Recorded2011
GenreHip hop
Length3:27
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Aubrey Graham
  • Dwayne Carter
  • Anthony Palman
  • Kenza Samir
  • Noah Shebib
  • Tyler Williams
  • Gavin Overstreet
Producer(s)T-Minus
Drake singles chronology
"Stay Schemin'"
(2012) 		"HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)"
(2012) 		"No Lie"
(2012)
Lil Wayne singles chronology
"Take It to the Head"
(2012) 		"HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)"
(2012) 		"I Can Only Imagine"
(2012)
Music video
"HYFR" on YouTube

"HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his second studio album Take Care (2011). The song features Lil Wayne and was released as the album's sixth official single. It was released to radio stations on April 24, 2012. The song was nominated for the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance, but lost to "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Music video

[edit]

The music video, directed by Director X, produced by Michelle Larkin, was filmed on March 21, 2012 in Miami's Temple Israel, and at a local school and daycare center.[1][2][3] It was released on April 6, 2012 along with the music video for "Take Care".[4] The video portrays Drake having a Bar Mitzvah. Lil Wayne makes an appearance to deliver his verse, and Birdman, DJ Khaled, Trey Songz, Mack Maine, T-Minus, E-40, and Noah "40" Shebib, VitalyzdTV make cameo appearances as guests during the re-Bar Mitzvah and the reception. It won Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards and Video of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2013. As of January 2015, Billboard named the video as the third best music video of the 2010s (so far).[5]

Critical reception

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Billboard commented on the track by saying "With a bit of "Swanging and Banging," T-Minus delivers a rock-influenced platform for teacher and student to squash questions with an acronym."[6] Rolling Stone described the song by saying "Drake opens the track with a whiplash verse or two before passing the mic for a Weezy showcase: he rhymes "hold her" and "closure" and raps "a met a female dragon had a fire conversation." Apparently, the phrase "hell yeah fuckin' right" is something they yell at journalists who ask questions like "how high they are?" and "do you they think the people around you are really your friend." In their defense, those are terrible questions. I would ask Weezy about the NBA lockout and ask Drake where the best place is to buy an obscenely overpriced candelabra."[7] Popdust gave the album a positive review and commented on the track by saying ""Hell yeah / Hell yeah, hell yeah / Fuckin’ right / Fuckin’ right, all right" is gonna make for one hell of a chorus sing along on future I Am Still Music tour installments, and the T-Minus (of "She Will" and "I’m On One" fame) beat is appropriately hands-in-the-air for such a statement."[8]

The song was nominated for the 55th Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance.[9]

Chart performance

[edit]

The song debuted at number 92 on the US Billboard Hot 100 following the release of Take Care. The song later re-entered the Hot 100 chart at number 100 and gradually ascended the chart to eventually peak at number 62. The song remained on the chart for a total of 20 weeks.[10] The song was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over two million digital copies in the United States.

Credits and personnel

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Credits for the song are adapted from the liner notes of Take Care.[11]

Recording

  • Recorded at: Metalworks Studios in Toronto, Ontario.

Personnel

Sample credit

  • Contains elements of "Swanging and Banging", as performed by E.S.G. and written by Cedric Hill.
  • Contains elements of "Knocked Out", as Performed by Paula Abdul.

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[16] Gold 35,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format
United States April 24, 2012 Rhythmic contemporary radio[19]
Urban contemporary radio[20]
United Kingdom May 28, 2012 Contemporary hit radio[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Drake and Rihanna's "Take Care" Video Is Set To Premiere This Friday". Complex. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  2. ^ "IN PRODUCTION: Drake – Director X, dir". Video Static. March 27, 2012.
  3. ^ Karen Burkett (March 22, 2011). "Drake spotted at Temple Israel in Miami shooting music video". www.miami.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  4. ^ "Drake ~ HYFR Feat. Lil Wayne". October's Very Own. April 6, 2012.
  5. ^ "The 20 Best Music Videos of the 2010s (So Far)". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  6. ^ "Drake, 'Take Care': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  7. ^ "Drake's 'Take Care': A Track-By-Track Breakdown". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  8. ^ "Drake's "Take Care" Reviewed: "HYFR (Hell Ya F***in' Right)"". Popdust. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  9. ^ "Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees - latimes.com". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Drake and Lil Wayne – HYFR (Hell Yeah F*****g Right)". acharts.us. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  11. ^ Take Care (liner notes). Drake. Universal Republic Records. 2011. 00602527832623.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  13. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  14. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  15. ^ "Rap Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  16. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "British single certifications – Drake – HYFR". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – Drake – HYFR". Recording Industry Association of America.
  19. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Radio Adds (April 24, 2012)". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  20. ^ "Urban Radio Adds (April 24, 2012)". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  21. ^ Lane, Dan (May 28, 2012). "This week's new releases 28-05-2012". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
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